Track Car Project

Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I had a dabble at some club racing, and spent a few years racing Alfa Romeos. I had reasonable results, but was always hampererd by my budget, or lack of. I gave it up when a mortgage and 'real life' stuff became more of a priority, and funds wouldn't allow both.

Since then, I've tracked my motorbike a few times, and been to the Nurburgring in a friends track prepped 3 series BMW, but it wasn't until the Easter weekend that the bug really got reignited by a trip to Croft, and quie a few laps in a generous friends Caterham.

So, last week I scoured the small ads and watched a load of cars on Ebay, and finally found one that I thought might be a good bet, and one that I'd likely get pretty cheaply. I bought it blind from Ebay, but made it clear to the seller that if it wasn't as described or was a wreck I would walk.

Saturday I picked her up. A 2003 Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup.

It needs a few bits, has some knackered bits and bobs, but in general she's straight and sound and the knackered bits (bushes/suspension etc) were always going to get junked for uprated stuff.

The build quality is awful, I have to admit. And I wouldn't want one for a road car unless brand new, but it's quick, light, easy to maintain, powerful enough and there are always bits availabe so it's a good base.

Car is in for MOT today, so will get a good idea of what it needs.
Firstly, I'll do the cam belt, aux belt, and dephaser pulley.
Full service including gearbox oil.
Probably a new clutch while I'm at it.
Strip the interior completely (it's dirty and tired anway)
Decent race seat, belts, steering wheel and add a weld in cage eventually.
Change suspension, just having the coilover vs normal uprated shocks and springs debate.
Rebush the suspensiion all round with powerflex bushes, new top mounts.
Fit rear anti roll bar
Rub wheels down and spray black.
Fit Toyo Proxies R888's.

That should make it quite a bit of fun, for a relatively small outlay.

Have the belts been done or do you know the history? Cam belt history is crucial (you probably know this already)

Apart from that, have fun! I love my 182!

Belts were done a few years back, but it it due them again, so that's the first thing I'll do. Dephaser pulley is rattly as hell, it sounds like a diesel at idle when it's warm. So this will be changed too.

Are you doing the belts yourself? Worth getting the proper tooling for these engines as it's very easy to mess the timing up. It seems like 50% of the folk that use the cliosport forum have timing issues due to not using a garage not using them

Are you doing the belts yourself? Worth getting the proper tooling for these engines as it's very easy to mess the timing up. It seems like 50% of the folk that use the cliosport forum have timing issues due to not using a garage not using them

Yes, the right tooling is a must for the job. The belts is the one thing I won't do myself. My father in law has a car business and has an ex Renault Technician on the payroll, so seems daft not to get him to do it.

Just over £1000 and it's done 74k. The belts are due, and it's due a service, but it's got most of it's history, newish brakes, stainless exhaust, and a lot of the regular known faults have been rectified, so I'm happy enough with what I paid.

When you're buying a 10 year old car for £1k you can't be too fussy I decided, and you need to expect to spend a little to sort it. I probably would have done the belts anyway, even if they weren't due. If they're gonna break it will happen on track.

Wow there was one in shed of the week on Pistonheads a few months back and that looked worn/tired etc. 1k for one that just needs a service is bloody good.

It needs a service + Belts and pulley, MOT & Tax, so reckon £1000 was right. With all of that done, you'd probably need to pay £1500-2000 I suppose, depending on condition.

The interior is awfully ratty. The chap I bought it from is a fellow mountain biker and carted his bikes around in it, so it's muddy and damp and a bit torn, something i overlooked as it's getting chucked anyway.

The above picture is after a serious clean and polish too, it didn't look half that nice when I picked it up.

Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I had a dabble at some club racing, and spent a few years racing Alfa Romeos. I had reasonable results, but was always hampererd by my budget, or lack of. I gave it up when a mortgage and 'real life' stuff became more of a priority, and funds wouldn't allow both.

Any more info/pics on the Alfas?

Very nearly bought a cheap 172 cup as a run around but currently getting drawn to something a bit more sensible… tempting as it is!

I'll dig out some pics. I raced an Alfasud for a couple of years and switched to a 33 after that. Nothing exotic, just cheap 80's and 90's tin tops. The Alfasud was a peach, and I regret racing it really, as it did end up getting damaged and eventually scrapped. It was very competitive racing and damage was pretty much inevitable every race!!

Bargain price for some thing as capable as that. However, personally I would have still gone for a rear wheel drive over front.

Yes, I did toy with the idea of an MX5 or similar, but I know where I am with FWD. I know how to drive them quickly, and know how to set them up to go well. The 33 in the above pic was all about turning in on the brakes and letting the car drift contolling the oversteer with the throttle. Great fun. The clio will be the same.

Clios seem to be one of the default trackcars to go for. Handling is great, light and pretty robust (mechanically).

I'd consider getting a set of track dedicated wheels after getting the service done. Nearly wore out the passenger side tyres on the new tarmac at Oulton earlier this year. Not good when you've a trip back to London after the day.

Did Cadwell Park last Tuesday. Brilliant circuit, tight but brilliant. Got to decide where to go in May. I'm thinking Castle Coombe, Brands Hatch or Snetterton.

Milkie, enjoyed your Puma run round 'Combe. Is that a 1.7 Zetec, and what's happened to your door trim?
I was watching the open-top go off, I've seen many, many people do that at Quarry, guaranteed to bite you in the ass if you're not careful...

Those Clio's are brilliant little track cars A mate of mine has got a turbocharged 172 with around 300 bhp

I've seen many, many people do that at Quarry, guaranteed to bite you in the ass if you're not careful...

I've nearly done it myself a few times

This was my biggest brown trouser moment in a sprint a few years back, carried a bit too much speed into Quarry which needed full opposite lock to catch it, then snapped back the other way on the way out but managed to get away with just putting one wheel on the grass!

you buy a car, and take it on track paying 60-300 pound for the day depending where it is (what track etc)

the only ''limits'' are normally noise ones where you need to be under a certain DB, if the car looks blatantly dangerous then you ''might'' not be allowed to run but there is no scrutinering, you could take pretty much anything out.

its good fun but can also be adicctive and before you know it your 1500 pound clio cup that was a bargin has 2ks worth of coilovers a couple of grands worth of throttle bodies bla bla .... LOL